Statewide – Last year in
North Dakota, over 80 percent of all reported motorcycle crashes resulted in
injury or death. Of the 12 motorcycle fatalities in 2016, 83 percent were not
wearing a helmet. With warmer weather now upon us, the North Dakota Department
of Transportation (NDDOT) reminds motorists and motorcyclists to follow simple
safety tips to save lives.

Tips
for motorists to prevent a crash with a motorcyclist:

Look twice for motorcycles. Check all mirrors and blind
spots when entering an intersection, changing lanes, passing or turning
left.

Stay back. Motorcycles can stop more quickly than a
vehicle.

Do not share the lane. Motorcycles have the same
right-of-way as any other vehicle, including the full lane width.

Actively watch for motorcycles that may be hidden.

Motorcyclists
can increase their safety on the roads by:

Wearing a DOT-compliant helmet and full protective
gear. Compliant helmets are labeled with the DOT logo.

“Motorcycles
can be hard to see, so we encourage drivers to be extra vigilant and to always
check their mirrors and blind spots,” said Karin Mongeon, NDDOT Safety Division
Director. “It’s equally important to remind motorcycle riders to do everything
they can to make themselves visible, to follow the rules of the road and to
wear full protective gear.”

The
NDDOT encourages riders at any skill level to take a safety course. There are
two courses available - one is designed for beginners or returning riders who
need to refresh their skills and another for experienced, licensed riders that
provides strategies to heighten awareness and skill levels.

Information
on motorcycle safety courses can be found at www.ndmsp.com.

Learn
more about motorcycle safety and other traffic safety initiatives at dot.nd.gov,
ndcodefortheroad.org or
join the conversation on the Code for the Road Facebook or Twitter page.